Tokka Week 3
by BlueSilverPandas
Summary: Seven oneshots celebrating the awesomeness that is Tokka. Read and review please.
1. Shopping

Hey everyone! Happy Tokka Week! :D Here's my entry for the first prompt, Shopping, I'm sorry that it's late! Oh, and by the way, this is alternate universe, so there's no bending and Toph isn't blind.

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**Shopping**

"No! I'm _not_ going in! You can't make me!"

"Toph, stop being so immature. You are going to pick a dress, and you are going to pick one _today_."

Toph scowled angrily as Katara dragged her by the arm to the nearest bridal store, the both of them getting strange looks from other shoppers at the mall. It was a chilly, rainy day in early March, and Toph would much rather have been at home playing video games instead of going to the mall with her fiance's sister. Ever since Toph and Sokka had gotten engaged last Feburary, Katara had been on a warpath, flinging wedding catalogues in their direction and dragging them to furniture stores all across town.

And now, Katara had taken Toph to the local mall in hopes of finding a wedding dress for the ceremony that would take place in June. And Toph wasn't having any of it.

"You _know_ I hate wearing dresses." she said in an irritated tone.

"I don't care if you hate it," Katara replied. "You can't wear sweatpants and a t-shirt at your own wedding! It's not traditional!"

"So?" Toph glared at her. "In case you haven't noticed, Sokka and I aren't exactly a traditional couple."

Katara ignored her. "Here we are." she said, releasing Toph's arm.

Grimacing, Toph surveyed the shop Katara had brought her to. Dana's Bridal had peach-colored wallpaper, illuminated by fluorescent lighting from the ceiling. Everywhere you looked, there were racks upon racks of white wedding dresses and assorted bridesmaid dresses in a variety of colors. In one section, there was also a display of men's tuxedos, shining like jewels.

A woman in a navy-colored suit came up to Toph and Katara. "Can I help you?"

"Yes," Katara answered. "I've made an appointment to look at wedding dresses. It should be listed as Toph Bei Fong."

Toph clenched her teeth as the woman flipped through her clipboard. "Ah, yes." she said at last. "Toph Bei Fong. Are you her?"

"No," Katara shook her head and gestured towards Toph. "She is."

"Pleasure to meet you." The woman smiled. "My name is Denise. Let me show you our selection of dresses. Follow me, please." Turning around, Denise began leading the two women towards the bridal gowns, her short, bobbed hair swishing around her face as she did so.

Toph sighed, and Katara turned to her. "Don't be so sullen." she said. "You'll thank me later."

Toph ignored her as they paused at one of the racks. Denise turned to them.

"We have many gorgeous bridal gowns in a variety of sizes and designs." she said. "I'm sure you'll be able to find something you like."

Katara turned to Toph. "Well?" she asked. "What kind of dress do you want?"

"I don't want anything too fancy." Toph replied. "I just want something simple, okay?"

"Of course." Denise nodded. "Pick anything you like."

Wasting no time, Katara led Toph up and down different isles, picking out a variety of gowns for Toph to fit on. Once she was finished, she led Toph into one of the dressing rooms and handed her the pile of gowns.

"Try them on," said Katara from the outside. "Then, come out and show us, okay?"

"Okay." Toph answered, surveying the outfits that lay before her. She didn't know which one she ought to try on first, since Katara had chosen so many for her. So, she decided that she would pick one at random. Closing her eyes, she let her hand sweep over several dresses, before grasping one at last. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she was holding a long, strapless white gown with a green sash that tied around the waist.

Toph grinned when she saw it. Green was her absolute favorite color, plus the dress had no extensive frills or lace, a must for someone like Toph. After she had stepped into the dress and tied the sash, she opened the door and walked out to show the others.

"Well?" she asked. "What do you think?"

"Oh, Toph!" cried Katara. "It looks beautiful on you!"

Denise agreed. "Simply gorgeous."

Smiling, Toph surveyed herself in one of the full-length mirrors. "You really think so?"

"Definitely." nodded Katara. "But nonetheless, maybe you should try on a few others before you make any final decisions."

Toph sighed. "Fine then." she said as she went back into the dressing room.

For the next hour or so, Toph continued to try on an assortment of different wedding gowns, and hated them all. Some had too many frills and ruffles, while others had none at all. Some had too many designs and patterns, and others, not enough. And none of them were as nice or as simple as the first gown, the one with the green sash at the waist.

"I guess it's settled then." Katara said. "Toph, are you sure that this is the dress you want?"

"Yeah," Toph replied, smiling. "That's the one."

"Fantastic, then!" exclaimed Denise, writing down the dress's serial number on her clipboard. "Give us two weeks, and we'll have it delivered straight to your house."

"Great." Katara beamed.

_3 months later. . ._

Toph held a death grip on her wedding bouquet as Katara put the finishing touches on her hair. Even though she had been anticipating this for weeks on end, Toph still had a hard time believing that today was the day she would get married to Sokka. The idea made her both excited and nervous at the same time.

At that moment, her maid of honor came forward to give her a hug. "Ready?"

Toph nodded as she pulled away from Katara. "Yes," she said. "I'm ready." Then, the wedding march began to play, and she took her father's arm. He smiled at his daughter with tears in his eyes; Lao wasn't especially fond of Sokka, he confessed, but he wanted his daughter to be happy, so he had given the pair his blessings anyways.

As Toph made her way down the isle, she caught her fiance's eye from the front of the church. Smiling back at him, she thought to herself,

_Thank you, Katara._

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Read and review on your way out, please. ^-^ I don't own A:TLA, by the way.


	2. When I'm With You

**When I'm With You**

Sokka's P.O.V.

_It seems like it was only yesterday when I first saw you, because the memory is still so fresh in my mind. Even now, when I close my eyes, it will come to me almost instantly._

_I was fifteen, and you were twelve, when we met. At the time, Aang needed an Earthbending teacher, and, as the Blind Bandit, you were the best of the best. When you had entered the ring at the underground tournament to fight the Boulder, I hadn't believed that you would be able to beat him, because you looked so small and delicate._

_And yet, you managed to prove me wrong._

_Then, I met your parents, whom both thought of you as nothing more than a blind, tiny, helpless little girl who wasn't capable of anything. Even though you showed them the real you, the you that I love so much, they didn't change their minds at all. _

_So, you ran away to travel with us, and I got to know you a little bit better. You were brash, and loud, yet always willing to help out her friends when they needed it, and I have always loved that about you. Except I didn't realize it at the time, because I was with Suki instead._

_Then, when we traveled in disguise throughout the Fire Nation, I got to know a side of you that nobody had ever seen before. I spent more time with you than with any of the others, because I felt that you were the only one I could really relate to, who would listen to me and understand my problems. I had told you things that I had never told to anyone else before, and it didn't feel weird at all, telling you. _

_But Suki returned, and I ignored you in favor of her. You, my best friend, someone who had always been there for me just when I needed you the most. But, as it turned out, the joke was on me. After the Sozin's Comet battle was over, that day when we were all in the Jasmine Dragon, she took me aside and promptly told me that it was over. The next day, I saw her in the park, kissing some guy I had never seen before._

_It devastated me, so I turned to you. You held me in your arms as I wept onto your shoulder, and you convinced me otherwise when I told you about how worthless I was feeling. I knew I never should have gotten involved with Suki in the first place, and so did you, but throughout that whole ordeal, not once did you berate me for it._

_It was shortly after that I kissed you for the first time. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before. During that time, I felt whole, complete, like a part of me that I hadn't realized was empty had been filled. And I loved every bit of it, from the way your lips moved with mine to the grassy scent coming from your hair._

_And now, ten years later, you lay beside me, as my wife. For a moment, I gaze at your face, pale in the moonlight. I press my lips lightly to your forehead as I see one of your hands on your swollen stomach, which makes me think about our impending parenthood._

_When I think of that, I start to worry whether or not our baby will be born healthy, and whether or not I will be a good father. But then, I think about how far we've come, and how far we still have to go. When I'm with you, I'm not scared of the future, because I know you will always be at my side, loving me. When I'm with you, I feel on top of the world. _

_As I ponder these thoughts, I place an arm around you and pull you closer to my chest. I watch you snuggle closer to me and, the both of us smiling, we fall asleep in each others arms._

FIN

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I apologize if this is overly sappy. :P Reviews are greatly appreciated, though. As usual, A:TLA is owned by Mike and Bryan, not me.


	3. All in the Family

**All in the Family**

Toph let out an enormous sigh of relief as she flopped down onto the sofa, her feet coming to rest upon the coffee table. She had never guessed that it would be this hard just to get one little baby to go to sleep. Apparently, her six-week-old daughter had not been the least bit tired, and had wanted to play. It took her exhausted mother half an hour before the baby had finally fallen asleep.

_Who knew one kid could be so difficult to handle? _Toph thought to herself as she let out a huge yawn. However, this didn't change the fact that the Earthbender loved her and Sokka's daughter with every fiber of her being. She wouldn't trade little Leila for anything.

At that moment, Toph felt a pair of footsteps approaching, and heard a voice call out, "I'm home!"

Leaping up from the couch, she walked over to the front door to greet her husband. "Hey Snoozles." she greeted Sokka with a kiss hello. "How was work?"

"The usual." He smiled down at her. "How's Leila?"

"I just got her to sleep." Toph replied. "It took forever, because she was so restless."

Sokka grinned as he swept his wife into a caring hug. "Then she really is your daughter."

"_Our _daughter, Meathead." Toph responded, giving him her customary punch to the arm.

"Exactly." he replied. Pulling back from his and Toph's embrace, he asked, "What's for dinner?"

"Haven't decided." Toph responded, heading towards the kitchen. "Thought you might have some ideas."

"Maybe we should just get takeout." Sokka said, taking a seat at the kitchen table. Before his wife could respond, however, the pair heard a strange sound from outside the window.

Sokka stood up. "What was that?"

They heard the sound again, and when Sokka went over to look out the window, he saw some kind of bird flying towards them. Within seconds, it landed on their windowsill and stared at them with its beady black eyes.

"It's a messenger hawk." observed Sokka. Looking at the olive-green canister attached to the bird's back, the first thing he noticed was the flying boar symbol embellished on the front. "And I think it has a letter from your parents."

Toph widened her eyes. "My parents?" she questioned. "Why would my parents be writing to us?"

Sokka shrugged, opening the canister and taking out the rolled-up parchment that was inside. He handed it to Toph and tossed a treat towards the messenger hawk.

Toph opened the letter and passed a quick scan over it. Ever since the treatment that had eliminated her blindness, Sokka had taught her how to read and write, something Toph was incredibly grateful for. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that she would one day be able to see the beauty this world had to offer, or be able to hold a piece of paper and not have someone read it aloud to her.

Biting her lip, Toph began to read:

"_Dearest Toph,_

_Word has spread to Gaoling that you have finally given birth to the baby you and Sokka had been expecting, and we could not be happier for you. We are certain that your new daughter is doing well, and is just like her mother in every way. Approximately one week from now, we will be coming to Ba Sing Se so that we may see her and the rest of her family as well._

_Darling, please know that we love you very much and only want what is best for you and your child. Please give our regards to Sokka, and we will see you both soon. We can hardly wait to see our new grandchild!_

_Love always,_

_Mom and Dad"_

Toph set down the letter on the kitchen table and sank down into one of the chairs. "Oh, spirits. . ." she said softly. "They're coming _here_. Because they want to see Leila."

Sokka's eyes widened. "They want to see the baby?"

"Well," came Toph's reply. "She _is_ their grandchild after all."

"Yeah," said Sokka. "But I'm still kind of worried. I don't know if you've noticed, but they don't seem to like me very much."

"Too bad." replied Toph. "You're my husband, and they're just going to have to deal with that, whether they like it or not."

Sokka blushed as he pressed a kiss onto her mouth. "I love you."

Toph grinned and punched him in the arm. "I love you too, Meathead." Then, she heard a little wail coming from another room, and recognized the sound immediately. She started to get up, but Sokka stopped her.

"I'll handle it." he said.

Toph smiled. "Thanks." she replied.

Sokka beamed as he gave his wife one last, lingering kiss before heading down the hall to Leila's room, smiling the whole way.

THE END

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Random fact of the day: The name 'Leila' actually means 'night' in Arabic. I didn't know this when I had first picked out the name, but I don't want to change it because it sounds so pretty. ^-^ Reviews are appreciated, and I don't own A:TLA.


	4. Hell Hath No Fury

**Hell Hath No Fury**

"Forget it!"

Outside of a small apartment in Ba Sing Se, a sixteen-year-old girl faced her boyfriend, tears streaming out of her sightless eyes. "Just forget it, and leave me alone!"

"Toph, I-"

"Shut up!" she snapped, cutting him off. "I said just leave me alone!" And with that, she turned sharply on her heel and ran off into the night, leaving behind a devastated-looking Sokka.

"Toph!" he cried as he stared after her. "Wait! Let me explain!"

But she ignored him, running faster and faster until she was certain that she was out of his sight. Sokka's eyes widened as a single tear made its way down his cheek.

"Toph. . ." he said softly to no one in particular, feeling his heart break inside his chest. He blinked numbly as another tear fell onto the stone-laid path, not even turning to look when he heard his friends approaching.

Aang widened his eyes. "Yikes, Sokka." he said. "What did you say to her to make her so upset?"

"Well," Sokka bit his lip. "It wasn't what I said, I-"

Katara cut him off. "Never mind." she said. "I'm going to go and find Toph and see what you've done to make her so mad." Shaking her head at him, she turned and walked off in the direction Toph had gone. Once she had left, Aang turned to Sokka.

"So," he asked. "What happened?"

Sokka sighed heavily. "Suki." he answered. "She's back from Kyoshi Island. I saw her at the marketplace this morning. She asked me if she could come back to the house, so we could catch up on things."

Zuko shook his head. "Bad move, Sokka."

"That's not even the _worst_of it." Sokka said miserably. "While we were talking, she told me that she was sorry about what had happened with us before. You know, when she dumped me for that other guy?"

Zuko nodded. "I remember that." he said.

"Yeah," Sokka continued. "So anyways, she said that while they were together, she realized how much of a jerk she had been towards me, and she broke things off with the other guy because she wanted another chance with me."

Aang's eyes widened. "She said _that_?"

Sokka nodded. "I tried to explain to her that I was sorry, but I was with Toph now and would never do anything to hurt her. But I guess Suki didn't want to hear it, because she wanted to pick things up where we left off. And before I could do anything to stop her, she grabbed the front of my shirt and. . . kissed me."

"Sokka!" Aang's eyes widened in horror. "Why would you let her do something like that?!"

"I didn't!" cried Sokka. "I was trying to push her away from me, and then Toph walked in and found us. . ."

Zuko glared at Sokka with amber eyes. "No wonder she was so mad, then. She walked in on her boyfriend kissing his ex-girlfriend, whom, might I add, DUMPED him for another guy."

"I tried to explain it to her," Sokka insisted. "I did, but she wouldn't hear any of it and ran off. But I want you guys to know, I'd never cheat on Toph! _Ever!_ I love her too much!"

"Do you want to go and tell _her_ that then?" an icy voice questioned from nearby.

Swallowing hard, Sokka turned around to find Katara standing there with her hands on her hips, glowering in his direction.

"I just spoke to Toph, right now." she said. "And she's devastated! Sokka, how could you do something like that to her?!"

Sokka opened his mouth to answer, but Katara cut him off.

"Never mind," she said. "I don't want to hear it!" Then, she grabbed Sokka by the arm and dragged him down the road, towards the city limits.

"Ow!" cried Sokka. "Ow, quit it! That hurts!"

Katara ignored him, continuing to pull him along until they were standing outside of a small cave on the outside of Ba Sing Se.

Turning to her brother, she released his arm and pointed towards the cave. "Toph's in there, right now. What you're going to do is go into that cave, find her, and apologize for hurting her like that!"

"But-!" Sokka tried to protest, however, Katara overlooked him and shoved him into the mouth of the cave.

"I'll wait here until you're done." she said. "And don't bother even trying to come out until you do!"

Sokka groaned and, taking a deep breath, started to walk deeper into the cave.

"Toph?" he called softly, straining his eyes to try and see her in the dim lighting. "Toph, are you here?"

"Go away, Meathead." Sokka heard a voice, and circled around to find Toph sitting nearby, clutching her knees to her chest and keeping her head down. "I don't want to talk to you. Go be with Suki instead."

Her words tore at Sokka's heart in the worst of ways, but he didn't want to give up, not yet. Gulping, he shivered slightly as he sat down next to the blind girl, who didn't even so much as raise her head to him.

"Toph," he said softly. "Please, just listen to me."

She sniffed quietly. "Why should I?" she asked bitterly. "You've already made it pretty clear that you don't want me. You want Suki."

"No," Sokka answered. "I don't. And you _know_ I'm telling the truth."

Toph finally raised her head and turned to glare at him. "Do I?"

Sokka sighed sadly. This was pure hell. No, this was _worse _than hell, because he was trying to apologize and the girl he loved wasn't hearing it.

Gathering his courage, he answered her. "Yes," he said. "You do. Toph, I love you more than anything in the world. And I would never dream of hurting you intentionally."

Toph turned away from him, her voice low when she spoke. "Too late for _that_."

Sokka sighed softly and, reaching out a hand, gently turned her head so that she was facing him again.

"Look, Toph." he said. "I'm really sorry about what happened with Suki. Like I said, I never meant to hurt you, and I'm really sorry. I should never have let her come over in the first place, and I. . ." He bit his lip before continuing. "I hope you'll forgive me."

Toph sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "You're not lying." she stated.

"Of course not." Sokka replied. "Why would I lie about something this important?"

Toph sniffed again and punched him in the arm, before pulling him into a hug, her cheek pressed against his broad chest.

Sokka looked down at the girl in his arms. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?"

Raising her head, Toph nodded. "Yeah." she said. "I guess so. But if you do it again, the both of you can expect to wake up underneath six feet of dirt."

Sokka chuckled quietly. "I'll remember that." he said, before pressing his lips to hers in a tender kiss. Toph responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and entangling one hand in his dark brown hair. Sokka grinned against her lips as he pulled her closer towards him, savoring the moment.

Finally, after a few minutes of kissing, the pair broke apart, panting for air. Toph smiled happily as Sokka rested his chin atop her head, their fingers intertwining.

"Wow," she said aloud, disrupting the silence of the cavern. "Maybe you and I ought to fight more often."

Sokka grinned as he pressed his lips to her forehead. "Yeah," he answered. "Maybe we should."

THE END

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I'm not completely thrilled with this prompt, to be honest. But I guess it's okay. When I heard the phrase "Hell Hath No Fury", I immediately thought of the two of them fighting and hell being puny in comparison to it. I'm sorry the rest of my entries are late, by the way. I've just been really busy lately. Reviews are always appreciated.

A:TLA is owned by Nickelodeon, a subsidiary of Viacom.


	5. Diplomat

**Diplomat**

"TOPH! YOU GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!"

_Uh oh. _Toph raised her head at the sound of Katara's angry tone of voice, which was now directed at her. Sensing that the Waterbender was headed in her direction, Toph immediately turned around in the opposite direction and bolted down the hallway.

"TOPH, DON'T YOU _DARE _RUN AWAY FROM ME!!!! YOU AND SOKKA ARE IN _BIG _TROUBLE!!!!!"

Ignoring her, Toph continued to dash around corners and up the hallways of Fire Lord Zuko's palace until she sensed the presence of a nearby closet.

"_TOPH!"_

Katara was now hot on the Earthbender's trail, and her shouts were growing louder by the second. Determined not to be caught, Toph opened the closet door and flung herself inside. As she pulled it shut behind her, she felt Katara's footsteps getting closer and closer, until…

"What are you doing?"

Scowling, Toph clamped a hand over Sokka's mouth to silence him. "Shut up!" she whispered hurriedly. "What does it _look_ like I'm doing? I'm hiding from your lunatic sister!"

Sokka's eyes swept over to look at Toph. "Is she after you too?"

"Yes." Toph hissed through her teeth. "Because _somebody_ had the brilliant idea to switch the others' tea with cactus juice just to see what would happen, only _somebody_ forgot his stupid bag while he was pulling it off." She glared in his direction.

Sokka stuck out his lower lip. "It's not my fault I forgot it, and besides, you had fun helping me, didn't you?"

Toph scowled, ignoring his question. At that moment, she heard Katara's voice from outside the door.

"Toph!" she shouted. "Sokka! I know you two are in there! Come out this instant!"

Sighing in defeat, Sokka reached out a hand to open the door. However, when he pulled on the handle, the door would not open.

"Well?" Toph crossed her arms over her chest. "Open it. What are you waiting for?"

"It won't budge." Sokka answered as he continued to tug on the doorknob.

Toph rolled her eyes. "You're just being a wimp." she responded. "Move aside, let me try it."

But the door refused to open for her as well. "Damn." she said under her breath, as Sokka started banging on the door to get his sister's attention.

"Um, Katara?" he shouted. "I think the door's stuck. Could you go and find someone to unstick it for us?"

"Nice try," said Katara from outside the door. "I'm not falling for that. Never mind, then. Until you two are ready to apologize for your childish behavior, I'll be in the garden!" And with that, she turned sharply on her heel and began to walk away.

"No!" yelled Sokka as he began banging on the door. "We're telling the truth! The door really _is_ stuck! Katara!"

"Forget it, Snoozles." Toph shook her head. "She's long gone."

Sokka's eyes widened in horror. "No!" he cried. "If she's gone, how are we ever going to get out of here? We're doomed!"

"We're not doomed," Toph rolled her eyes at him. "We'll just have to find another way to unstick the door."

"But can't you Earthbend us out of here, or something?" asked Sokka.

"There's no earth for me to bend." Toph replied. It was true. The floor of the closet was wooden, rendering her powerless.

Sokka's brow furrowed as he tried to think of something they could do. "Maybe there's a crowbar or something we could use to force the door open." Squinting, he looked up at one of the shelves to the closet. "I think I can see one on that shelf up there. Toph, will you give me a boost?"

"If it will help us get out of here sooner." she answered, lacing her fingers together.

Carefully, Sokka lifted one foot onto her hands, and gripped the side of the closet shelves to help himself up. Reaching out a hand, he fumbled around in the darkness.

"Hurry up, Snoozles." Toph grunted from below. "You're starting to get heavy."

"Just a second." came Sokka's reply as his hand continued to fish around on the shelf. Finally, his fingers closed around a rusty, metal object that he assumed to be the tool.

"I found it!" he cried, holding it in the air triumphantly.

"Great," said Toph. "Now get down so we can open the door and get the heck out of here."

"Okay." Sokka said as he gently lowered one foot down to the ground. But as he was trying to lower the other foot, he somehow lost his balance and tumbled to the floor, taking Toph with him.

Toph's eyes widened as her lips accidentally brushed against Sokka's. The position she was in right now was awkward enough, but what made it even more awkward was that she harbored a secret crush on the guy who had just flattened her like a pancake.

For a moment, neither one spoke, the both of them too embarrassed by the situation to form a clear sentence.

It was Toph who finally broke the silence. "So," she said. "You-you've got the crowbar?"

"Uh huh." Sokka nodded, still red in the face. "I-I guess I should pry the door open then, right?"

"Yeah." Toph responded as Sokka lifted himself off of her and went over towards the door. Placing the crowbar into the space between the door and its frame, he pushed down on the tool, forcing the door to open at last.

Sokka smiled. "It worked!" he said happily.

"Of course it did." Toph shrugged, still red in the face. "Now, where did Katara say she would be?"

"The garden, I think." replied Sokka. "Why, are you going to apologize to her?"

"No way!" Toph frowned defiantly. "Switching the drinks was _your _idea, why don't _you_ apologize?"

"But Toph," protested Sokka. "I can't do that! She'll kill me!"

"That's _your_ problem!" Toph snapped. "I'm not your diplomat! And besides, I have better things to do-."

"TOPH! Where did you hide my water pouch?!"

"Things like avoiding your sister." Toph finished as she began to walk in the opposite direction of Katara's voice.

At this point, Sokka knew there was only one thing he could possibly do.

"Hey Toph!" he shouted, running after the blind girl. "Wait for me!"

THE END

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And the moral of the story is: Avoid Katara when she's angry at all costs. ;D Reviews are welcomed.

Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction for it.


	6. The Blind Leading the Blind

**The Blind Leading the Blind**

It was a lovely summer day in Ba Sing Se, and at the Jasmine Dragon tea shop, several teenagers were hanging out together, celebrating the end of the war.

At one table was seated a Water Tribe warrior by the name of Sokka, with one arm around his girlfriend, a Kyoshi warrior named Suki. Across from them sat Toph, a blind Earthbender, with one elbow resting against the table in a bored manner. To tell the truth, she hadn't really wanted to come to the tea shop today because she knew that Sokka and Suki were going to be there together.

Things had changed ever since Suki joined the group. Before her arrival, Sokka used to spend most of his spare moments with Toph, talking or laughing or pulling pranks on the others. But now that the Kyoshi Warrior was back, Sokka spent all his time with her, and barely spoke to Toph at all.

At that moment, her other friends, Katara and Aang, walked in through the double doors, holding hands and exchanging smiles with one another. Together, they sat down at a nearby table, hardly noticing the others at all.

Then, a boy with a scar on his face named Zuko spoke up. "So," he asked the assortment of friends. "What are you guys going to do now that we've won the war?"

"Well," said Aang. "The first thing I want to do is go back to the Western Air Temple to make some repairs there. I want people to be able to live there again, like they did a hundred years ago."

Katara nodded. "And I'm going to go with him." she said, before turning to Suki. "What about you, Suki? Have you decided what you want to do?"

Suki nodded yes. "I'm going to go back to Kyoshi Island." she replied. "They need me there, and-"

"Hold on a second," Sokka interrupted her, snatching his arm back from Suki's shoulders. "You never mentioned this before. Not to me, anyways."

"I thought it was obvious, Sokka." replied Suki. "I'm the leader of the Kyoshi warriors. I'll have to go back sooner or later."

Sokka looked dejected. "I knew that," he said. "I just didn't think that you would be going back so soon."

"When did you _think_ I would be leaving?" Suki turned to her boyfriend. "It's the end of the war, Sokka! The Kyoshi warriors need me right now!"

"What about _me_?" Sokka glared at her. "Don't you think _I_ need you too?"

Suki let out an irritated sigh. "I don't need this right now," she said. "I'm under enough pressure as it is." She got up from the table and headed towards the front door.

Sokka stood up. "Where are you going?" he cried.

"I'm taking a walk!" she shouted in response. "I'll be back in ten minutes!" And with that, she walked out the door and let it close with a bang.

"Wait!" Sokka hollered, running in the direction Suki had gone.

Toph heaved a sigh as she got up to follow Sokka. If he and Suki were fighting now, she figured he might need someone to talk to.

"Hey Sokka!" she shouted once she was outside. "Wait up, will ya?"

Sokka paused and spun around to face her. "What is it, Toph? Now's not really a good time."

"I know," Toph replied. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay, that's all. You seemed really upset back there."

"I'm not." Sokka shook his head quickly.

"You're lying." Toph said immediately. "I can feel it."

"Okay," Sokka admitted. "You're right. I _am_ upset."

"About Suki leaving?"

Sokka nodded. "She was right, though." he said. "I knew she'd have to go back home eventually, it's just," he paused. "I didn't think it would be so soon."

"Don't get too upset about it." Toph replied. "Even if you did know, she still should have let you know when exactly she was planning on leaving."

"Yeah," said Sokka. "I guess you're right. Thanks, Toph." he smiled in her direction. "You know, it really means a lot to me that you care like that."

Toph turned away, hiding the growing blush on her cheeks. "N-no problem."

"Well then," said Sokka. "I guess we should be heading back then? Maybe Suki will have calmed down by now, and I'll be able to say sorry to her."

Exhaling softly, Toph followed her friend back to the Jasmine Dragon where, sure enough, Suki was waiting for him. As Sokka made his apologies to the Kyoshi warrior, of which she gladly accepted, Toph sat herself down in a booth, wondering if she was really the blind one here.

THE END

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Aww, poor Toph. :( And poor, oblivious, misguided Sokka. *sigh* Reviews are appreciated.

Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA. Mike and Bryan do, as well as Nickelodeon.


	7. Lullaby

**Lullaby**

It was a beautiful, hazy summer evening in the Fire Nation, and at the palace of Fire Lord Zuko, the celebration was just getting underway. People of every age and every race were coming from all corners of the globe to commemorate the end of a hundred years of war.

And the grand ballroom was a truly marvelous sight to see. Everywhere you looked, there were people talking and dancing and having a splendid time with one another, illuminated by the dim glow of several carefully-placed paper lanterns.

Among those celebrating were the Avatar himself, Aang, and his girlfriend, Katara. On the dance floor, the pair seemed to be off in their own world, ignoring the other couples around them as they swayed to the gentle pulse of the music.

Not too far away, another couple seemed to be having a good time as well. The leader of the Kyoshi warriors was keeping a steady hold on her boyfriend, Sokka, as the two of them twirled around in circles on the dance floor.

Sokka smiled tenderly down at Suki as he used one hand to pull her closer to him. Since she would be leaving for Kyoshi Island the day after the party, he wanted to make sure that this would be a night Suki would not soon forget.

On either side of the dance floor, several tables with chairs had been set up for the guests, accompanied by a full buffet dinner. Seated at one of these tables was a thirteen year old girl by the name of Toph Bei Fong. Dressed in a pale green floor-length dress that complimented her eyes, she sat alone with only a plate of untouched food sitting in front of her.

She did this by choice, in spite of the fact that numerous boys had already asked her to dance. However, she had refused due to the fact that the one boy she wanted to dance with that evening was already dancing with another girl.

She knew it was hopeless, of course, to even wish for him to ask her. After all, he already had a beautiful girlfriend, didn't he? How could Toph ever compare to _her_?

But ever since the fight that had taken place between him and Suki at the Jasmine Dragon a few weeks ago, Toph had begun to notice a gradual change in the girl's personality, especially around Sokka. Her actions seemed more nervous, to say, like she had something to hide. Sokka, of course, had paid no attention to Suki's unusual behavior, most likely attributed to the fact that he had been helping Zuko to plan this party.

_It's obvious that Suki's been hiding _something_ for a while now. _thought Toph as she blew a strand of ebony hair away from her face. _The question is, what? _

Meanwhile, the object of her affections was currently having the time of his life with said girlfriend as he spun her around in circles, laughing all the way.

Suki, on the other hand, bore no smile when she turned to her boyfriend and said, "We need to talk."

"Okay." grinned Sokka. "Talk then."

"I meant _privately_." she replied. "As in, away from everyone else."

The grin never left Sokka's face. "Sure." he said as Suki took him by the hand and led him out the back doors, towards the direction of the garden.

Toph raised an eyebrow when she sensed the pair walking away from the other guests, especially because Suki's heart rate was beating much faster than it should have been. Getting up from her chair, she silently followed them out the back doors to find out what was going on.

After a few minutes of walking, Suki finally let go of Sokka's hand and stopped so that they stood beside the fountain. Toph crouched down behind a nearby shrub so that she would not be seen, but would still be able to hear everything that was going on.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Suki faced her boyfriend. "Look Sokka," she began. "You know that tomorrow I'm going back home to Kyoshi Island. I leave in the morning."

"I know that," Sokka answered, taking both of her hands in his. "That's why I wanted to make this night so special for you. I wanted to make sure that you wouldn't forget me once you returned home."

Toph rolled her eyes but remained quiet, waiting for Suki's response.

Suki tried a smile. "That's very sweet of you, Sokka." she said. "But my leaving is actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Once I'm gone, we aren't going to be seeing each other as much."

"I know." Sokka replied. "I was hoping that maybe I would be able to visit you at some point, but I haven't figured out when I would be able to."

"That's the problem, Sokka." came Suki's response. "To be honest, I. . ." she paused, taking a deep breath before finishing the sentence. "I don't think this is going to work out."

Sokka widened his eyes. "Wait a minute," he said, backing away from her. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Suki nodded. "Yes." she said softly. "I am. I'm really sorry, Sokka, but I think we would be a lot better off as-"

Sokka held up his hand, silencing her. "Don't." he said. "Please don't say the word 'friends' unless you mean it."

"But Sokka," Suki took a step towards him. "I _do_ mean it."

"No." Sokka shook his head sadly. "I don't think you do. Because if you did, my heart wouldn't be breaking."

Toph felt her jaw drop but still didn't say a word.

"I'm sorry, Sokka." Suki took another step towards him. "But I really think this is best for now. Maybe if I ever come back, we could try this again. But not now." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodbye, Sokka." she whispered, before turning around and walking out of the garden, leaving behind a cheerless -and very confused- Sokka. Numbly, he sat down on the edge of the fountain and placed his head in his hands.

It was at this moment that Toph chose to come out of her hiding place. Going over to Sokka, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

Sokka answered her by placing his head on her shoulder, tears forming in his sapphire eyes. Toph responded by placing her arms around him, pulling him closer to her and stroking his back comfortingly.

"It's alright, Sokka." she murmured quietly. "You'll be okay. You're much better off without her. Trust me." She felt the fabric on her shoulder beginning to dampen as Sokka continued to weep. Toph hated seeing her friend in such distress, and at the moment, desired nothing more than to find Suki and make her sorry for what she had done to Sokka.

She chose this moment to think back to her childhood, back to her home. Sometimes when Toph would have a nightmare and wake up crying in the middle of the night, her mother would come in, pull Toph into her lap, and sing her a lullaby. Much as she tried, Toph could not remember the exact words to the tune, but she remembered the tune perfectly.

She softly hummed the tune in Sokka's ear, and felt his grip on her tighten considerably. For the next few moments, the two of them sat there, holding on another and forgetting all about the rest of the world.

Finally, Toph finished the lullaby and Sokka pulled away from her embrace. "Thanks." he said, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his kimono.

"You're welcome." Toph replied.

"Where'd you learn that tune you were humming just now?" asked Sokka.

"My mom used to sing it to me sometimes when I was little." admitted Toph. "I couldn't remember what the words were, but I do remember that whenever she sang it, I would always feel better." She turned her sightless gaze towards him. "And I thought you might want to feel better, after what just happened."

"Yeah," Sokka sighed heavily. "I suppose I should have been expecting it, though. For the past few weeks, she's been acting different. Not like her usual self, you know?"

Toph nodded. "I was actually wondering when you'd notice." she said. "I knew that there was something up with Suki, but I couldn't figure out what it was. I guess that was it just now though, wasn't it?"

"Uh huh." Sokka responded, lowering his head slightly.

Tentatively, Toph reached out a hand and placed it under Sokka's chin, forcing him to look at her. "Listen to me," she said. "You deserve someone a lot better than Suki, alright?" she paused. "You're a great guy. Any girl would be lucky to have you as a boyfriend." she finished at last.

Sokka looked into her eyes. "You think so?" he asked.

"Of course." replied Toph. "I always have." Her cheeks reddened at the last bit.

"Really?" Sokka gazed at her in the moonlight. He smiled at her. "Thanks."

Toph smiled in return. "No problem. Now, do you want to go back to the party? Maybe it will help you to forget about Suki for a little while."

"Sure." Sokka stood up. Leaning forward a little, he pressed a kiss onto Toph's forehead. "Thanks again." he said.

Toph's eyes widened in surprise as her cheeks flushed once more. "Y-you're welcome." she sputtered.

Sokka's smile widened as he slipped his hand into hers and led her back inside, and for the rest of the night, the two of them were inseparable. They danced every dance, paying no attention to the bemused grins of the other party patrons. After it was over, Sokka escorted Toph back to the room she was staying in, outside of which the two of them were able to share their first kiss.

Yes, Sokka was still a bit upset over what Suki had done to him, but he decided that he wasn't going to sit around feeling sorry for himself. After all, Toph seemed to like him a lot, didn't she? And he had found that he liked her very much too.

In any case, this particular evening had certainly been one that neither Sokka nor Toph would be able to forget anytime soon.

FIN

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D'aww, don't they make such a great pair? ;) In case you haven't already noticed, this is supposed to be a sequel to The Blind Leading the Blind. Out of all the prompts, this one was definitely one of my favorites. I hope you all had a nice Tokka Week, and please review on your way out.

Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA. If I did, you would not be reading the above story.


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